Wheaty Hoopla

Components of Beer Tasting Series

The Wheaty loves beer, and now that we’re making our own, we figured what better way to share that love than to bring you all in and talk about what goes into great beer. And so the Wheaty’s Components ofBeer Tasting Series was born! Four nights, four different pieces of the beer puzzle -- Hops, Malt, Yeast, and Water. Join us over the next few months as we dissect each ingredient and taste our way through some truly exceptional beers...

Guiding us through these tastings will be the newest addition to the Wheaty Brewing Corps team – Laura Mirsch. Laura joins us most recently from San Diego, where she worked as a brewer for one of the top craft breweries in America. Prior to that, Laura worked in production at both wineries and craft distilleries. She has a Masters degree in Sustainable Food Systems where her research focused on the history of beer, wine, and spirits as well as the modern craft beverage industry in America. We’re excited to have Laura here for this tasting series, not to mention lending a practiced hand in the brewery.

We’re kicking off our tasting series by raising a glass to hops in all of their aromatic and mouth puckering glory. While tasting through a selection of hop-centric beers, we’ll talk about how hops historically became brewers’ bittering substance of choice as well as the role hops play in modern beer. From Yakima to Bushy Park, we’ll explore the top hop producing regions of the world and how growers are collaborating with brewers to craft the flavors you’ll enjoy years from now.

All beer starts in a field somewhere; join us as we trace the path beer takes from grain to glass. From barley farmers to maltsters, we’ll look at the individuals who make that journey possible and how their techniques have changed over time. We’ll talk about the transformations barley undergoes during malting and how those processes impact the flavor and color of your favorite beers. Finally, we’ll touch on some of the non-barley cereals and other adjuncts used in brewing.

Yeast really isn’t an ingredient in beer. Instead, it is the hardest working employee of any brewery. As we taste through beers made with a range of yeasts, we’ll talk about how yeast converts sugar into fizzy alcoholic goodness. From ales to lagers, we’ll explore how brewers harness yeast to achieve a variety of styles and flavors. We’re even going to delve into some of the antiheros of brewing -- microorganisms that walk the line between causing spoilage and creating beautiful sour beers.

Access to water has shaped civilisation… and beer. Let’s just focus on beer. While admittedly not the sexiest member of the brewing team, it would be impossible to make beer without water. We’ll discuss how water influenced historical beer styles as well as the impacts climate change and water scarcity have on modern breweries. You’ll even learn how we at the Wheaty make amazing beers using Adelaide water.